Private Equity Growth in 2025: How Fintech and Leadership Talent Drive Returns

For decades, private equity and banking investments were built on a familiar foundation: financial restructuring, operational efficiency, and cost-cutting. These strategies still have value, but they no longer guarantee returns in today’s market.

What is the real differentiator now?

Securing and integrating top-tier leadership and value chain expertise, coupled with prior experience in emerging financial technologies like fintech, digital payments, and AI serves as a powerful growth catalyst. This enables firms to transform, stabilise, and scale portfolio companies in complex, rapidly evolving markets.

Where Talent Meets Innovation:

Digital payments and fintech are reshaping how transactions are conducted worldwide, creating new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and operational excellence. Firms that combine visionary leadership with deep understanding of fintech trends are better positioned to:

• Capture new revenue streams
• Streamline operations
• Mitigate financial and operational risk

At Experts Group International (EGI), we partner with clients across Europe and North America to deliver professionals who not only excel in the role but also drive sustainable, long-term growth and transformation.

Why Value Chain Talent Matters More Than Ever:

The private equity landscape is shifting rapidly. Geopolitical uncertainty, tighter financing, and fragile supply chains have made execution risk the biggest barrier to delivering returns. Research from Bain & Company revealed that 70% of companies fail to reach their full potential during transformation due to leadership and cultural misalignment.

Fintech, AI, and the New Financial Ecosystem:

European policymakers have actively fostered fintech innovation, from the EU’s Financial Technology Task Force to the FinTech Action Plan. Combined with blockchain, AI, and supportive regulation, these technologies are redefining finance and enabling faster, smarter, and more inclusive payment systems.

• AI for Payments: Machine learning detects fraud in real time, personalises customer experiences, and optimises payment processes.
• Blockchain for Transactions: Secure, decentralised systems that cut fees, speed settlement, and enable cross-border payments.
• Cryptocurrency Adoption: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and others challenging conventional banking with privacy, control, and efficiency.

To capitalise, organisations require leaders who understand both the technical innovations and the operational realities of expanding them across markets.

Emerging Talent Trends Shaping Private Equity in 2025:

Leading firms like Accenture, EY, and Groupe Onepoint recognise that traditional value creation strategies are nearing their limits. Operational excellence and the right talent are now the real game-changers.

To stay ahead, private equity and banking investors must build strong leadership relationships and collaborate with talent partners like us who truly understand the complexities of cross-industry and value chain expertise.

From our work with investors across Europe and North America, we’ve identified five trends reshaping how firms approach leadership and value chain talent:

1. Mid-market firms are levelling up: Many are now working with specialist recruiters to discreetly evaluate the leadership capability of potential acquisitions, ensuring management teams can deliver on the investment strategy.
2. Pre-deal leadership mapping: More investors are identifying potential CEOs, C-suite executives, and board members before a deal closes. With an experienced recruitment partner, this process can happen fast, even during exclusivity periods, so leadership is ready from day one.
3. Culture-fit hiring: Recruitment partners are increasingly relied upon to place leaders who align not only with the role but also with the company culture and long-term growth plan.
4. Closing skill gaps quickly: As annual reviews of CEOs and senior leaders become more structured, skill gaps are found sooner. A trusted recruitment partner can fill those gaps fast, hiring from their experienced network.
5. Strategic talent partnerships: Collaborating with experts who understand cross-industry value chains ensure firms access top-tier talent efficiently and effectively.

Talent Barriers Private Equity Firms are Facing Today:

Private equity investors are facing a more competitive talent landscape:

1. The increasing demand for senior-level talent makes securing top talent harder
2. Firms require employees with relevant experience and knowledge on the sector to drive growth in niche markets
3. Longer hiring process and rising wages
4. Increasing pressure for investors

Experts Group International: Your Partner in Value Chain Talent:

With the skills gap widening and competition for top talent intensifying, private equity and banking firms are increasingly partnering with specialist recruiters. Our hands-on, human-first approach helps both organisations and professionals navigate this fast-changing environment where top talent is often passive.

Whether you’re an employer or candidate in private equity or banking facing an uncertain market, we offer expert guidance and consultation to help you thrive.

Hiring Private Equity and Banking Talent:

• Targeted Talent Access: Over 9 years of cross-sector experience has allowed us to build one of the most extensive networks of specialists across private equity, banking, and financial services.
• Specialist Expertise: We understand the diverse leadership and technical skills needed for critical roles such as Finance Managers, Group Treasurers, and Accountants driving strategic growth.
• End-to-End Recruitment Management: Our dedicated team sources, prepares, and manages top talent full-time-giving you a clear advantage in securing candidates within a competitive market.

For Private Equity and Banking Professionals:

• Strategic Representation: Gain access to top companies, competitive salaries, and comprehensive benefit.
• CV and Application Support: Work with specialists who tailor your CV to highlight your most relevant experience for current market demands.
• Personalised Support: Benefit from recruiters who have placed hundreds of candidates in your target companies, providing insights from application through to salary negotiations.
• Exclusive Opportunities: Many of the best roles are not advertised publicly; we connect you directly through our trusted industry relationships.
• Career Alignment: Our consultants take time to understand your goals and strengths, matching you only with roles that truly fit your expertise and ambitions.

Join Our Network, Explore New Opportunities:

As a trusted partner across Europe and North America for value chain talent, Experts Group International supports key industries including:

• Private Equity and Banking – operational experts accelerating portfolio growth
• Automotive – leaders in engineering, manufacturing, logistics, and innovation
• Pharmaceuticals – specialists advancing research, manufacturing, and supply chains
• Consumer Goods – experts in product development, e-commerce, and supply chain optimisation

We recruit for a wide range of senior roles such as portfolio managers, investment analysts, compliance officers, risk managers, business development heads, finance directors, HR leaders, operations managers, pricing analysts, and quality assurance specialists.

We don’t just fill roles, we build long-term partnerships by placing talent that fuels growth and innovation. Our network is full of qualified professionals aligned with your strategic vision.

If you’re recruiting in the value chain space, our consulting team can help you develop a talent strategy perfectly aligned with your operational goals here.

And if you’re exploring new career opportunities in the value chain sector, click here to see our current openings.